Exactly. The guy is a creep and should be locked away for a long time. He was a past offender, and even had real pictures/stories with the "obscene cartoon pictures" the DOJ refers to. It's really a slam dunk case for the DOJ, I mean who is going to side with this guy?

The big thing to note is the guy was on parolle, had real pictures with him, and etc. The DOJ could of nailed him on any one of these, yet they, like any other big name orgonization, wanted to make the headlines with the new protect law that goes after loli/shota con.

Lets break it down.

Normal Anime Fan(watches hentai, things like bible black, and watches stuff like Shana and other shows with young characters) - Nothing is going to happen to you. The law states that is has to be intercourse. So no, seeing Shana in the shower isn't going to land your ass in jail. Unless the show has hardcore sex in it, you're fine.

Loli/Shota con fan(the people at various img boards) - I dunno really. I mean you'd have a interesting issue if they went after someone who had loli/shota con that someone could look at and tell it wasn't real. But not being a loli/shota fan, I couldn't tell you.

But in general, the guy was a past sex offender, had emails from parents that touched their kids, and even had real pictures. So before we all get hot and bothered about this, don't worry so much.

If the DOJ wanted to go after anime and hentai, they wouldn't was their time on one person. You'd see companies like Rightstuf, Geneon, ADV, and hentai companies get indited and etc.

I reccomend reading the FBI article on it, especially this part:

Quote:

FBI Agent Gerald Kim, who led our investigation in Richmond, said the cartoons were extremely graphic. “There was no doubt about what was being depicted,” Kim said.

The Japanese anime was just part of the case against Whorley. Our cyber experts found digital photographs of child porn on the same VEC computer. Whorley had also used it to send explicit e-mails to a young girl and for other e-mails describing the sexual abuse of children—further violations of federal obscenity laws. In the end, we were able to link Whorley to the pornography, e-mails and other evidence on the computer. He was convicted of a total of 74 counts of obscenity and child pornography.

I still don't understand why the DoJ had to include the drawings/cartoons in their case. They had enough to convict the guy just using the real photographs.

Doujinshi artists beware. Your sketches composed of paper and pencil could technically land you in jail due to your exploitation of...paper and pencil.

There's a reason the first version of this Protect Act was struck down by the Supreme Court. It was due to its references to "drawings" and such. An impairment to free speech and expression.
The Act was then modified too only include "obscene" drawings and such...but what the heck is obscene anyways?!
Community Standards? Apparently the DoJ gets to set that standard for us.

If we all lived in a town that was somehow some big giant 24/7, 365 day anime and manga convention then I guess we've be okay?

Freedom of Expression seems to erode every year due to people's hysteria and obsession with all things sex and security related.

Unfortunately, the guy that got convicted is such a sick as*hole that not even his mom would defend him and as such the conviction part dealing with the drawings and cartoon will stand unchallenged and will set a precedent.

I still don't understand why the DoJ had to include the drawings/cartoons in their case. They had enough to convict the guy just using the real photographs.

They probably wanted to explain the extent of the man's collection and the fact that he was expanding upon his sources. It certainly goes toward showing that he is not on his way to rehabilitation (not that jail really helps either, but anyways).

Cowpunk wrote:

Does anyone know which anime (or manga) titles he had?

Probably alot of doujinshi. There's lots of that stuff out there. There's also alot of hentai with characters of indeterminite age though look rather young, plus even some shows from the 80s that are quite blatantly lolicon.

You bet he does. If he was going to do this he should've at least thought to use a NON-gov't terminal.

Yes lets completely blame the matter on the man and not the anime company themsleves. Far be it from us to consider where it came from or where it was produced but rather to all BAND-WAGON on the Holier-Than-Thou "I'm better than that guy" train so you can all feel better about yourselves.

A lot of people are so insecure about themselves.

Last edited by camelot187757 on Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:45 pm; edited 1 time in total

One thing that disturbs me about this story (besides what the guy was doing) is that Google News seems to be emailing it to me from a lot from different sources, so it's being widely reprinted, due to the press release by the DOJ.
Has anyone seen this in a newspaper or the like?

Well, I think I have a better understanding at least. I don't see why this is really such a big deal personally. The only thing this guy is guilty of is using a public computer for what should be a private matter. From the articles he's a sex offender... so he deserved it for that.

But this is a different case. (and no I don't condone what he did, I just don't care what someone does in PRIVATE, but using a public computer (or just one that's not his) for something like that is something that kind of bugs me.)

Well, I think I have a better understanding at least. I don't see why this is really such a big deal personally. The only thing this guy is guilty of is using a public computer for what should be a private matter.

As for #3, where the law stands is still very much in question. Our research shows that the law states that virtual child porn is ony illegal under the protect act if it is indistinguishable from the real thing. But the articles and government statements regarding this case make no mention of how realistic looking the material in question is. Its simply referred to as "anime." Typically, anime child porn doesn't look realistic.

Quote:

I do believe I need to read the article before actually saying anything. Maybe the person who started the topic would be so kind as to publish a link, I don't feel like searching for it...

Everything discussed in the Talkback forum refers to articles published on the front page of ANN.

I do believe I was saying what I believe. I don't necessarily follow what the law says to say if someone really violated something or not. Now I didn't read anything that said violating his parole. That would be something, I guess I can see how they got the sentence now.

However I still don't get why it's such a big deal.

edit: I just saw that it was posted on the front page, still new here and all.

People are worried about this case setting a precedent. Here's a predecent to set: DON'T GET INVOLVED IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.

The lolicon was NOT the primary reason for this man's incarceration, but in this case, it clearly indicates that this was no one time accident, that he was willing to look for both "virtual" and real child pornography.

Sure, I imagine the vast majority of fans of lolicon probably do know to separate their fantasies from reality, but for those who don't ... it's clearly indefensible. Child pornography is clearly not a victimless crime, and there is a clear and present danger of lolicon desensitizing folks to pedophilia and the fans trying to rationalize this paraphilia as somehow socially acceptable when it is certainly not.

If any of you want to continue to defend this guy "because he's a fan", then be my guest, but frankly, that's a very bad reason to dismiss the very real crimes he has been convicted of.

If you're going to get outraged, then wait until someone gets convicted specifically because of lolicon art and for no other reason.

Also remember that Tsutomu Miyazaki was also a fan of lolicon doujinshi, and that predilection was used as evidence to support the case determining his motive for his crimes, but lolicon doujinshi still remains legal in Japan.

In the end, however, if the people of Virginia see fit to ban lolicon doujinshi in their state, it is their prerogative. Lolicon is not, and has never been a civil right -- "freedom of speech" is often placed aside when the majority of voters consider something obscene -- though I imagine this sort of legislation would not be as prevalent in a state that is more concerned with personal and individual freedoms than Virginia, which is historically rather conservative.

I'm not being self-righteous or anything like that, while I dislike lolicon intensely, it is ultimately the individual's choice to get involved in something like that. But this is simply the reality behind the matter, and those who choose to ignore it do so at their own risk.

Zac and Jacob spend the entire first video episode of ANNCast talking spoiler-free about Makoto Shinkai's amazing movie, your name., plus Yuri!!! on Ice and much more!― ANNCast Episode 278: What's My Name Zac and Jacob spend the entire first video episode of ANNCast talking spoiler-free about Makoto Shinkai's amazing movie, Your Name, plus Yuri on Ice and much more! You can listen to the show on ou...

Pokemon Sun and Moon introduced a brand new visual style to the franchise that's left fans divided! Callum May explains how and why Pokemon's style has shifted so much over the years.― The anime industry is constantly changing. In the past 20 years, we've seen new studios rise and old guards fall, we've lost extraordinary veteran talents and welcomed new hopeful faces, we've seen entirely new ways o...

One of the most beloved seasons in this classic anime is finally available to own with a brand-new dub! Rebecca Silverman explores how well Sailor Moon S holds up after all these years.― Sailor Moon S is hailed as one of the best seasons of the five-season series, and even just from the first few episodes, you can see why. Unlike its predecessors, Sailor Moon S gets right down to business introducin...

It's Dark Souls by way of creative powderkeg Suda 51, and Dustin has strapped in for a weird, bloody ride. PLUS: Death Stranding, Final Fantasy XV, Super Mario Run and much more!― It's the end of the year, and that means it's time for game releases to start winding down—but don't worry, January is already packed. There's only one release of any note this week, but don't think the lack of new games m...

This unusual historical fantasy anime might have gotten lost in the shuffle of bigger titles over time, but it's still one of a kind today. Theron Martin explores just what makes this series special.― Maria the Virgin Witch is a remarkable series in many respects. It's nearly as raunchy as a high-end fanservice anime – even being assigned a TV-MA rating despite not having any detailed nudity – and y...

Like this season's Izetta: The Last Witch, historical fiction anime plays fast and loose with real events to spin some fantastic yarns that nevertheless teach us plenty about real history!― Though it has never been a dominant anime genre, historical fiction has nevertheless persisted in anime since its earliest days. These days hardly a season goes by without some new interpretation(s) of Sengoku-er...

The extras are insightful in this new release of Summer Wars, even if the story may not hold up the way it once did. Rebecca Silverman offers her take on Mamoru Hosoda's breakout film.― Time is the greatest test of any work. Poems written by Heian era women over a thousand years ago are still intimately relatable to modern readers, novels by men in the 19th century still have a lot to say about soci...

Monster Musume is a very, very naughty manga. When you've got a harem interspecies comedy where the girls are half-snake, half-horse or half-slime mould, the sexy permutations are pretty much infinite. Below, we've nominated our seven favourite guilty pleasures from Monster Musume's early chapters. Warning: the following scenes contain acts which some people may find unnatural... 1 – Monster Musu...

Keijo!!!!!!!! shoots up the charts and Sound! Euphonium 2 retakes the top spot in our weekly user rankings! See how your favorite shows performed!― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Fall 2016 season and readers are rating each episode as the reviews go up. So let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season. Keep in mind that these rankings ...

After a decade in development, the latest entry in the Final Fantasy franchise is finally here! Dustin Bailey has the lowdown on this bishounen-packed road trip.― Every time you boot up Final Fantasy XV, it presents you with a message, calling itself a “Final Fantasy for fans and first timers.” The series' disconnected chronology has always favored reinvention, but this one takes that that further t...

The spicy boy-meet-girl-monsters manga comedy Monster Musume has been a hit since it slithered sexily from the mind of artist OKAYADO. You could call it a harem manga, but you've never seen a harem like this one. It starts with a bird-girl, a snake-girl and a horse-girl, and then it gets really strange. All these ladies are flying, clopping and otherwise perambulating to Japan as part of a govern...